


Are We Talking About Boys?

by Goldy



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Caroline Forbes & Stefan Salvatore Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, just hunt bunnies together okay, poor Stefan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 21:34:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldy/pseuds/Goldy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>“It’s just….” Caroline voice finishes in a rush, “Tyler’s a <i>werewolf</i>.  And I’m a vampire. And that can’t ever happen, right? It’s like… Romeo and Juliet. You know, if they both died in the end.” </i>  Stefan does not want to be having this conversation. Set mid-S2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Are We Talking About Boys?

**Author's Note:**

> I spent half of the Descent being really baffled that Elena being trapped in a house with a psycho vampire didn’t even merit a concerned text message from her boyfriend, but I have now decided to explain away the show’s gaping plotholes by assuming that Stefan was clearly on the phone the whole time listening to his BFF Caroline talk about boys.

Caroline is in tears when he answers the phone. 

“I didn’t know who else to call,” she babbles senselessly. “Elena has enough to deal with and things are still weird with Bonnie—”

“Shh, Caroline,” he says, trying for soothing, but not quite able to mask his impatience. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Tyler—”

Stefan’s mind goes on overdrive, immediately jumping through all the worst conclusions. “Is everything okay?” he says. “Are _you_ okay? Did something go wrong last night, I know you said it went fine, but after what happened to Rose, we can’t take any chances—”

“No, nothing like that,” Caroline says, but in a tone that makes it sound like it’s much worse. Stefan’s stomach bottoms out. “It’s also... it’s Matt.”

Whatever Stefan had been expecting, it’s not that. “Matt?”

There’s a sniffling noise. “Yes,” she says. “Matt wants to get back together, but I—”

“Matt wants to....” Stefan fumbles, still reeling. He pauses. “We’re talking about boys, aren’t we?”

“Yes! Duh! What did you think we were talking about?”

“Nothing,” Stefan says hastily. “So Matt wants to get back together, what’s the problem?”

There’s an embarrassed pause. “Tyler,” she finally admits.

“Tyler?” he repeats. “Caroline, what are you—”

“He kissed me okay? Which was totally inappropriate! I mean, who just _does_ that—and now _neither_ of them are talking to me, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Caroline—” Stefan looks around, and even though he’s pulled up by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, drops his voice before he hisses. “Caroline, Tyler is a werewolf.” 

“Don’t you think I know that?” Caroline says, now sounding on the verge of hysterics. “Tyler’s a _werewolf_. And I’m a vampire. And that can’t ever happen. It’s like… Romeo and Juliet. You know, if they both died in the end.” 

“Well actually…” Stefan begins, but Caroline continues before he can finish. 

“But he was so _brave_ last night, Stefan. All these years we’ve known each other—and that was the first time I ever saw him like that.” She sighs. “I sound so stupid.”

“No, no, Caroline,” he lies, “of course not.” And then, “ _Tyler?_ Really?” 

She manages a snort of laughter. “He knows what it’s like to be.... to be like me. But with Matt,” her voice catches, “he only sees the human me. The person I used to be.” She pauses and continues in a hushed tone. “I have to lie to him _all the time_ and I’m sick of it.”

He doesn’t need vampire hearing to pick up the sadness in her voice. He feels some of his impatience melt away. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”

She does. Stefan listens only half-heartedly as she tells him the whole story, keeping one eye on his watch and itching to make his planned rendezvous point with John so he can start pumping the other man for information.

His phone beeps to alert him of an incoming text message. It’s probably John again. Or maybe Elena. He should really check. 

“Caroline—”

“I don’t know what to _do_ ,” she practically wails. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

At unknowingly repeating what he’d said to Elena earlier that day, Stefan feels himself give in. Yes, he had to track down John. Yes, he hadn’t caught up with Elena in a few hours—but Elena was with Damon, and if there’s anything he can trust, it’s that his brother will do anything to keep her safe. Right now, Caroline needs him.

He sighs and leans heavily against the car. 

“Well I think that’s inevitable at this point, Caroline.” He rubs at his forehead. He still sounds impatient. He takes a breath and tries again, this time in a gentler tone. “What do _you_ want? I know you think you will always love Matt and that’s fine, but sometimes.... sometimes things change.”

“Yeah, says the guy who pined for the same woman for 150 years—”

“That was _Damon_ , I didn’t—”

“And then stalked her doppelganger for months and months—”

“But you need to be careful. With Tyler,” he interrupts before she can continue. “We’ve seen what can happen.”

There’s a pause. And then, “Don’t you think I know all that?”

He nods to himself. Of course she does. That’s why she’s so upset in the first place. “Is there anything I can do?” he offers. 

She’s silent as she thinks. “I wish I could still taste ice cream.” She pauses and then brightens, “Will you come bunny hunting with me?”

He laughs. “Of course I will.” His phone beeps with an incoming call. “Listen, Caroline—”

“I know, you have to go,” she says, but she’s back to sounding like her usual self. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He’s smiling as she hangs up. The smile slips when he glances at his phone, finding three missed calls from Elena. He’s ready to call her back when he gets another message.

> I’m with Damon – things are under control. Ok if you want to go after Isobel.

His fingers close around the phone. Well, if he has Elena’s blessing (sort of).... and Katherine’s information _had_ seemed genuine. If there’s even a chance that John can help him protect Elena, he has to follow up on it. Decision made, he hits the “redial” button.

John Gilbert answers on the first ring.


End file.
